#Swiss components

[syyds]

 Precision meets perfection with NingBo YIYI's high - precision hardware parts! 🛠️ Our parts are crafted to an astonishing tolerance of 0.05mm, setting a new standard in the industry. These aren't just ordinary components; they're the unsung heroes powering innovation across aerospace, electronics, and machinery. In aerospace, every detail matters. Our precision parts ensure aircraft engines run smoothly, withstanding extreme conditions. In the electronics world, they enable sleek, high - performing devices. Tiny yet mighty, they're the secret behind seamless data transfer in your smartphones. And for machinery, our parts mean longer - lasting equipment, reducing maintenance and downtime. But what makes our hardware parts truly stand out? It's the combination of top - notch materials and cutting - edge manufacturing techniques. They're tough as nails, fitting together flawlessly to enhance performance. Whether you're an industry pro or a DIY enthusiast looking to up your game, these parts are for you. Let's team up and bring your projects to life! 💪 Tag someone who could use a precision upgrade. 

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Fragrance Notes

CITRUS NOTES

In their natural state, are quite volatile and prone to oxidation.

Notes of lemon, bergamot, orange, and mandarin are used in perfumery to impart sharp, sour, and very refreshing top notes to a fragrance.

MINTY NOTES

Follow on from citrus notes as refreshing and clean-smelling top notes used extensively in functional perfumery like household cleaning products.

In addition, notes of peppermint, menthol, and eucalyptus give a cooling effect to many masculine fine fragrances and shower gels.

FRUITY NOTES

With the exception of Osmanthus and blackcurrant bud absolute, the majority of fruity notes used in perfumery are created with synthetic materials.

Gamma undecalactone (C14) - used for a peachy/apricot effect, along with other materials such as Raspberry Ketone, Benzaldehyde (for cherry), and Allyl amyl glycolate (for a sour pineapple note).

The large aromachemical manufacturers produce ready-made compounds, which makes adding fruity notes to a fragrance composition less of a challenge.

Dewfruit, which is a specialty base from the Swiss fragrance manufacturer Givaudan, gives a raspberry and lychee note and is used in a variety of commercial fine fragrances.

GREEN NOTES

Add freshness and naturalness to fragrances, from floral to fruity and chypre.

Cis-3-hexenol - a very powerful material that is reminiscent of freshly cut grass.

Galbanum - a natural material, likened to uncooked green beans.

Should be used sparingly because they can seem harsh if used in large quantities.

HERBAL NOTES

Lavender, rosemary, and clary sage are used in both masculine fragrances and functional products for their cooling and natural effect.

Herbs add naturalness to a fragrance and are usually the steam distillate of the aerial parts of the plant.

Lavender - a key component of the fougére family, with each variety and extraction giving a slightly different effect.

Lavender absolute is said to have a bright green color and warm, hay-like aroma.

ALDEHYDIC NOTES

Aldehydes - a group of materials that are most famous for their use at overdosed levels in Chanel No. 5.

Have a powerful aroma and are perceived as waxy, fatty, soapy, and clean.

On their own, they would be considered too harsh and chemical-ly, but in combination with floral notes of rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang, they impart sparkle and radiance.

C8 Octanol, C10 Decanal, C11 Undecylenic, C12 MNA, and C12 Lauric feature in this group, as do Hydroxycitronellal, Citral, Citronellal, and Benzaldehyde.

FLORAL NOTES

Floral notes make up the heart of most fragrance types.

There are many different types of floral, each with their own characteristics:

Rose Notes. These can include everything from rose absolute and rose otto to geranium and even guaiacwood which, although smoky and woody, has definite rosy undertones. Phenethyl alcohol is used as a blender in fragrances to give a rose note, and the Firmenich base Dorinia is used where a large amount of natural rose would be too costly or restricted. Apart from cost, one of the main issues with using natural rose absolute in a commercial fragrance is that it typically contains 1-1.5% Methyl eugenol, a naturally occurring component that is restricted in the EU and other parts of the world. The maximum amount of rose allowed in a leave-on skincare product is around 0.025%. Low Methyl-eugenol rose is available, but cost and minimal-order quantities are high, meaning it is out of the reach of many fragrance producers. Laboratoire Monique Rémy produce a molecular distillation of rose for this very reason, which enables large quantities to be used in the fragrance Portrait of a Lady (Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle).

Jasmine Notes. As well as jasmine absolute and jasmine sambac, synthetic bases are created with Benzyl acetate and other jasmine-like chemicals such as Hedione, which is used in a huge range of fragrances to impart radiance and diffusion. Unfortunately, although used for centuries, jasmine has been severely restricted in commercial fragrances, due to sensitization, and it is only allowed currently in the EU at a maximum of 0.7% in a finished fragrance for on-skin usage.

Muguet Notes. The name of the lily-of-the-valley notes. There is no natural muguet extract, so all fragrances of this type will contain some synthetic materials. The muguet ingredient, Hydroxycitronellal, which was relied upon for many years, is now restricted to a maximum 5%, due to its potentially sensitizing effect. Other muguet-type replacements are Lyral, Lilial, and Dupical, which are used in combination with other materials.

Violet and Iris Notes. Natural violet absolute is from the leaf, and smells very green, wet, and mulchy. The sweet, powdery violet notes actually come from a group of materials called the ionones—Alpha, Beta, and Methyl ionones—which add a sweet, cosmetic violet note to rosy florals, as well as being a great link to woody notes in the base of a fragrance. Other notes that belong in this category are the orris notes, which are either natural and excruciatingly expensive (orris concrete), or come from a synthetic such Orivone.

Narcotic Floral Notes. Naturals such as ylang ylang, tuberose, and orange blossom are in this category due to their heavy, sweet, almost narcotic effect in a fragrance. With the exception of perhaps ylang ylang, which is available in a variety of grades, these materials offer a low yield and so are quite costly. In commercial fragrances, synthetic materials such as Aurantiol and Methyl anthranilate are used instead. White florals contain traces of the chemical indole, which can be added to a fragrance in trace amounts for effect. Alone, indole has an odor of decay and can be extremely unpleasant, as is the case with many animalic notes.

ANIMALIC NOTES

Indole brings us nicely on to the other animalic and musk notes used in fragrance.

Included here are the leather notes, as there is a fair amount of crossover.

The animalic notes are generally quite strong and often fecal.

The following are main animalic notes used:

Civet. This is the main material used and is extracted from the anal gland of the civet cat. Strange and unpleasant as it may seem, civet, when used in trace amounts, is said to give a sweet, exotic, and sexy edge to a fragrance and is reminiscent of the indoles present in white flowers.

Castoreum. Comes from the glands of the beaver or a synthetic reproduction, which is slightly less alarming. It can have quite urine-like notes, which at low levels give a honey aroma. It is used in chypre and leather fragrances, along with woods, mosses, and labdanum or birch tar and Isobutyl quinoline (leather notes).

Ambergris. Comes from the sperm whale; the most gentle of the animalic notes. Often found washed up on beaches, mainly in New Zealand. It has an aromatic, almost marine-like note that can be soft, musty, and musky. The synthetic versions are most often used. It works well with sandalwood for a soft skin-like accord.

Natural musk. Use of this is now completely outlawed due to the near-extinction of the musk deer from which it was historically collected. The musk notes we experience today are all synthetic and, in fact, are perceived as much cleaner than you would expect considering their origin. This is due to their extensive use in laundry detergent fragrances, hence the term “laundry musk.” Nitro musks such as Galaxolide by IFF are used due to their substantive and long-lasting effects through a wash at high temperatures. They are not very soluble in water, which means that they will stay on the fabric through the wash cycle. Of course, this means that many are not biodegradeable or very environmentally friendly. Musk notes are used in most fragrances for their fixative properties and for the soft, comforting effect they give to a fragrance. Many people, including perfumers, are anosmic to different musks and so they are often used in combination with each other.

BALSAMIC AND VANILLA NOTES

Balsamic refers to the sweet, warm, and resinous notes of Peru balsam, benzoin, and oppoponax, which also have slightly vanilla and caramel undertones.

Vanilla absolute does not smell anything like the vanilla notes used in food or commercial bath products, which are more “ice-cream-like” and foodie.

These are usually created with Ethyl vanillin and vanillin, rather than the more costly vanilla absolute, which is actually less sweet and more woody. Vanilla absolute is difficult to work with in products due to its insolubility in alcohol.

It can also cause extreme discoloration in some products, turning lotions and soaps a dark brown to black.

HAY NOTES

Another sweet, powdery note is coumarin, which is a key component of the fougére family and works well with both vanilla and lavender.

Coumarin - a white, crystalline powder that occurs naturally in tonka beans.

It is created synthetically for perfumery use, but tonka absolute has a similar smell, which is that of powdery, newly mown hay.

WOODY NOTES

A key part of oriental fragrances, the woody notes can be soft and creamy, such as sandalwood, or cool and earthy, such as patchouli and vetiver.

Although patchouli is a distillation of the leaves rather than a wood, it does have some woody aspects.

Vetiver - rooty and has rich caramel undertones, and an earthy woodiness.

Cedarwood Virginian has a sharp, dry, pencil-shavings aroma.

Iso E Super is a lovely, transparent, woody ingredient to add to a fragrance as a blender and is even used alone as a fragrance in its own right.

MOSSY AND MARINE NOTES

Have a slightly yeasty, fungal, and pungent aroma.

Mossy notes - important in both the chypre and fougére fragrance families and, although oakmoss is being restricted, there are synthetic variants that will give similar effects.

Seaweed absolute - can be used for a natural marine note but the most widely used in fine fragrance is Calone, which was prolific in perfumes of the 1990s.

Calone - has a sweet, melon, ozone-like fragrance, which many people find extremely cloying. This is often used with other fruity, melon, and marine notes.

SPICY NOTES

Spice notes play a huge part in perfumery as accessory notes for floral and oriental fragrances.

Spices can be overpowering, and notes such as cumin can take on a slightly sweaty odor that may smell unpleasant on skin.

There are warm spices such as clove (or Eugenol), which can give a carnation effect to florals, and cooler, dry-spice notes like black pepper.

Shinus molle, or pink pepper, has been used extensively over the last few years in floral fragrances.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander can also be used, as can other foodie spices like cardamom in the form of distilled essential oils.

Source: Perfume: The Art and Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert More: Word Lists ⚜ Notes & References ⚜ Perfumery ⚜ Fragrance Writing Resources PDFs

[justacynicalromantic]

If you somehow needed a reminder that we live in a completely fucked up world..

Fourteen of the sixteen electronic components are made by American companies. The rest are Swiss, Chinese, Malaysian and Taiwanese. China imports all this.

[gunsandspaceships]

MCU Timeline: Iron Man 2. Part 2

Part 1

2010

May 11, night - Stark Expo opening. Blood toxicity - 19%.

May 12, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm - Tony at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearings.

May 13, evening:

Tony is back home and has a video conference in 4 hours. Blood toxicity - 24%. 362 days of Expo left.

Tony (unofficially for now) appoints Pepper as CEO of SI.

May 14 - Tony officially transfers the management of the company to Pepper.

Note: confirmation of 2010 from S.H.I.E.L.D. dossier. The Avengers (deleted scene).

Between May 14 and May 23 - Tony hires Natasha as his new PA.

May 23 - Tony in Monaco. Vanko attacks him on the race track. Blood toxicity - 53%.

BAMF achievement: are you talking about Afghanistan, Tony?

May 24, 7:32 am PT - Tony and Pepper are on the Stark Jet flying home from Monaco. Three hours into the flight, Stern is interviewed by MSNBC.

May 25:

Hammer arranges Vanko's escape and brings him to his place. Ivan begins work on drones, his reactor 2.0 and a suit.

Night - Tony searches for information about Vanko after he was declared dead.

Another f*ck up in dates - the screens say 05.06.10. For that to be true, we'd have to move Tony's birthday and change the Expo countdown.

May 29 (Saturday):

Tony's birthday. Blood toxicity - 89%.

10 pm - party.

Rhodey steals Mark II and fights Tony, then flies away.

May 30:

Morning - after ~10 hours of doing something somewhere Rhodes finally brings Mark II to Edwards Air Force Base.

Tony eats donuts in a donut. Fury and Natasha give him a pep talk and lithium dioxide.

Hammer brings Ivan not his bird and notices that he makes drones, not suits.

USAF calls in Hammer to outfit stolen Mark II with his weapons.

Afternoon - Fury tells Tony that Howard was the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. and gives him a chest of Howard's things.

Evening - Hammer gets his hands on Mark II and turns it into "War Machine".

Tony looks through his father's notes and receives his message recorded in 1973.

May 31:

Morning - Tony goes to apologize to Pepper and finds the "Key to the Future".

Afternoon - Tony (re)discovers a new element and orders components for a particle accelerator. Meanwhile, he drills more holes into his house, eventually turning it into a piece of Swiss cheese.

June 1:

343 days of Stark Expo left.

Morning - Tony builds his particle accelerator. Coulson is reassigned to New Mexico.

Note: As we've established in Thor's timeline, its events take place in November 2011. Not May/June 2010. I could do some logical gymnastics and stretch it to 2010 (which would already create a mess), but there's no way it could be in May/June.

Afternoon - Tony finishes the particle accelerator and synthesizes the new element at home.

Note: mention of 2010 again.

Evening - Vanko finishes his suit and the drones.

6:20 pm - Vanko calls Tony. Tony heads to New York in the new Mark VI.

40 minutes is most probably an exaggeration, since it is unlikely that Tony could get from Malibu to Flushing in less than 40 minutes. In any case, Tony didn't have time for anything else, especially considering that he needed time to assemble his new suit.

7-9 pm - Hammer and Vanko at the Stark Expo. Tony and Rhodey fight Vanko and defeat him. He blows himself and the Expo up. Tony saves Pepper and 8-year-old Peter Parker. Pepperony's first kiss.

Considering that other things tell us it's been 19 days since Pepper became CEO, Tony's "a week" line is an exaggeration. And Pepper plays along, just like she did with 12% in The Avengers.

I could write a whole post about why it could not be just a week (from Expo opening to the fight) as it's stated in other timelines, but I'll just give you one question to think about: how many days Ivan would need to build all those drones, a new reactor and a suit? Probably not 2.

A week later - Fury gives Tony Natasha's assessment of him and offers him a position as a consultant at S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony accepts.

Mid June - Senator Stern awards Tony and Rhodey with medals.

The Consultant

Second half of 2010:

The World Security Counsel still supports the Avengers Initiative at this point. But they want The Abomination on the team. Coulson and Sitwell send Tony to sabotage the transfer between General Ross and S.H.I.E.L.D. He succeeds, and Blonsky remains in prison.

After that, the WSC loses interest in the Avengers Initiative.

MCU Timeline: The Infinity Saga

[raindrops-on-concrete]

I know media literacy is dead bc I've seen so much hate circling around for the "Made in Switzerland" song the Eurovision hosts sang for the line "Like the Swiss Eurovision is: Non-political, strictly neutral, doesn't matter if you're good or brutal" which is actually a surprisingly accurate way to describe it imo. Because if you know anything about Swiss history you know that Switzerland has never been strictly neutral. It's one of those things we like to say about ourselves to construct our image like the US that like to fashion themselves as the saviours of WW2. In reality, sure, the Swiss army has never provided aid to any specific country and was just focusing on border defense, but we all know that the true power of a small country with the same amount of inhabitants as the city of New York alone does not come from its military. It comes from money. Switzerland did a lot of international trading during the world wars and in WW2 in particular with Nazi Germany and the Axis powers since they at one point completely surrounded Switzerland. They provided energy and components used for weapons to the Axis powers while upholding this image of political neutrality.

And isn't that exactly what's going on with Eurovision? They say they're non-political but as soon as money comes into play they're not anymore. Their main sponsor is an Israeli company, I think that's all anyone needs to know to see that none of this is about politics, it's about money. Which is exactly what Swiss neutrality is as well.

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 8]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

Yunho had a pep in his step as he came back to the restaurant on Friday morning. He was excited to come back to work so he arrived earlier. Yesterday felt weird to not go into the restaurant to work.

"(y/n)?" He poked his head in. You were alone and had your AirPods on, listening to music as you worked on whatever was in front of you. You hadn't heard him come in. Yunho blinked and stepped forward, tapping your shoulder lightly.

"Who-" You jumped back in fear, as if you were afraid of getting attacked. Yunho flinched also, surprised by your fearful reaction.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Yunho fully bowed in apology.

"It's fine. I didn't hear you come in with my music playing." You frowned slightly, removing your AirPods and tucking them away. Yunho cleared his throat.

"Where are the others?" Yunho asked as he went to put his bag and coat in the locker room.

"I told them to sleep in a little. Sometimes, working in peace and quiet is what I need." You replied, mixing the pie batter in the bowl.

"I understand." Yunho nodded. You couldn't help but involuntarily snort at that, did he really understand what you meant? He seemed like someone who likes to surround himself with noise and other people, someone who doesn't like to be alone or for the environment to be too quiet.

"Hang on, let me make a coffee." Yunho said and went out to make himself a macchiato. At the same time, he made you an iced americano, bringing the cups into the kitchen.

"Thank you. Are you hungry?" You asked as you wiped your hands on your apron towel and took a sip before you went into the walk in.

"I guess?" Yunho blinked in confusion.

"I'll make you a sandwich." You came back out with a prep tray of items. You unwrapped the paper and there was a chunk of what looked like beef in the middle.

"What's that?" He came next to you, leaning to see as you used your knife to shave off slices of the meat.

"It's salt beef. Or corned beef. I made it yesterday for Seonghwa and got it ready this morning to give out." You explained.

"Here." You handed him a slice to try.

"Mmm! It's good." Yunho's eyes widened as he ate it. When he thought corned beef, his brain could only think of that chunk of meat that comes in a can. He didn't think that it was the processed version of this piece of meat in front of him.

"This is rye bread, Russian dressing, swiss cheese and sauerkraut. It's like a fermented, pickled cabbage." You showed him each component as you stacked the sandwich.

"Then we grill it to make a sandwich, a reuben sandwich." You pressed the sandwich onto a hot pan until the cheese melted and the bread toasted.

"It looks so good!" Yunho clapped his hands excitedly. When you took it off the pan, you sliced it down the middle.

"There you go, a reuben sandwich." You slid it to him. Yunho took his phone out to take a picture first.

He picked up the sandwich and took a big bite. The crunch of the bread with all the components, the sauerkraut cutting the creamy dressing and cheese, it was amazing.

"This is amazing." Yunho melted, leaning his elbows on the table as he savoured the taste.

As he enjoyed the sandwich, you went back to preparing the pastries and cakes for the day. You would occasionally glance over at Yunho eating his sandwich. Honestly, you had no idea why you felt so much anticipation making the sandwich for him. Maybe because you've been quite amused by his reactions to food so far.

"I'm glad you like it." You said, turning around to mix the muffin batter. Yunho smiled softly as he looked at the back of your head. It warmed his heart that this was you starting to open up to him.

"This thing... sauerkraut? How do you make it?" Yunho asked.

"It's actually really easy. You shred the cabbage and massage it with salt until the water comes out then you let it pickle with it's own natural bacteria and enzymes." You informed.

"So I'm guessing you made this?" He held up a strand of the pickled cabbage. You nodded your head.

"Well, I'm sad that this is my last bite." He pouted, staring at the small piece of sandwich that was left in his hands.

"You can always learn to make it yourself then make more." You replied.

"Speaking of, is there anything I can help you with? Since you're doing this on your own." Yunho straightened up, going to the sink to wash his hands and the plate the he used.

"The boys are coming in 30 minutes. But you can still help." You shrugged. He nodded, going to the locker room to retrieve a spare apron. After tying the string around his waist, he pulled his sleeves up and washed his hands again.

"Okay, chef! What do I do?" Yunho saluted with a big smile as he jogged over to where you were.

"We're going to make the coffee crumb cake. Measure all this into here while I make the crumb that goes in the middle and on top." You pointed on the recipe sheet and all the ingredients he needed.

"I can do that." He grinned and started measuring each component. You had taken out the ingredients earlier so he didn't need to retrieve them.

"Where is the coffee in the coffee cake?"

"There is actually no coffee in coffee cake. It's just meant to go well with a cup of coffee." You replied, mixing the crumb ingredients together with your fingers.

"That's... confusing..." He laughed. You hummed in agreement. You looked over to see how he was managing.

There was a small frown on his face as he checked the weighing scale for each ingredient, he chewed on his bottom lip, focussed on trying to get the exact weight of everything. You could tell he was frustrated when he was even 0.1g over what was needed. He would carefully add and remove each minute amount.

"Done!" He showed you the bowl. You told him which ingredients to put together, standing with him at the mixer to let him add the ingredients in.

"Once the sour cream, butter and sugar are whipped together and it looks fluffy and airy. Slowly add the eggs." You instructed. Yunho tried his best to follow your instructions. He didn't want to mess up.

"No shell." He said proudly, cracking the eggs into the small bowl and adding them in.

"Should I do the flour little by little?"

"Yes, maybe in batches of 3. Lower the speed of the mixer or it will go everywhere." You advised him. He did exactly as told, watching in amazement as he made the cake batter.

"I've never done this before. Or rather, my mum always said I made a mess so I wasn't alloewd to do much." He sighed.

"You've been keeping your area neat so far." You shrugged, continuing to mix with crumb with your hands to ensure you got the right consistency. You tasted it to make sure that the taste and texture wa right before going to wash your hands.

"That's good." You said. You took the bowl from the mixer and scraped down the sides. Then you grabbed the cake tin and layered the two components.

"Let me help." Yunho held the bowl of batter for you to guide it into the pan. After smoothing it, you put a layer of crumb.

"Ooh, like a filling?" He asked, watching you crumble the crumb evenly over the batter.

"Yes, so we cover this with the remaining batter and more crumb." You said, putting more batter on top of the middle layer of crumb. Then you put a final layer of crumb over the top.

You repeated the step for the other cake tin and put the cakes into the oven to bake.

"Morning, (y/n)." Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho came in.

"Hey." You greeted, putting the used dishes together. The 3 were surprised to see Yunho already there with an apron, standing beside you, ready to take on whatever task you assigned. From the flour stains on his apron, they guessed that you had let him help with with whatever you were doing.

"Look at you being so hardworking." Wooyoung wrapped his arms around you to squish you into a hug. You scrunched your nose lightly, body stiff but you didn't push him away.

"Did you sleep?" Seonghwa asked softly, a hand on your head. He didn't ask if you slept well, he asked if you slept at all.

"I did, Hwa. Don't worry. Your salt beef is in the fridge." You informed. Seonghwa's eyes widened in excitement.

"You didn't..."

"I did." You nodded. Seonghwa left you and immediately headed for the walk in. He came back out with the piece of salt beef that you had used earlier.

"See? You should get a meat slicer so we don't have to manually slice it anymore." Jongho chuckled.

"If you can find anymore space in my kitchen to put an industrial meat slicer, go ahead, Jong." You rolled your eyes. Wooyoung was still glued to your side, his arms around your waist as he leaned his head on your shoulder tiredly.

Yunho watched this exchange quietly. You were really so different when you were around familiar people. Not only were you more relaxed, there was a little bit more playfulness in the way you spoke.

"Okay, get to work." You said, patting Wooyoung on the hip. He went to get his apron.

"What has been done?" He asked.

"Muffins and coffee crumb cake are in the oven. Chicken & leek pie filling is done, pastry has not been rolled out and blind baked. I was getting Yunho started on the financier batter."

"Are you getting more comfortable around the kitchen?" Seonghwa asked Yunho, chewing on a slice of salt beef.

"Thanks for (y/n)!" He replied enthusiastically. You raised your eyebrows at his reply.

"Hwa, stop eating and get to work. You can make your sandwich later." You scolded. Seonghwa laughed and covered the meat back up with the paper wrapping, putting it back into the walk in. He washed his hands and was by your side immediately, assisting you with what you were doing.

"Maybe I should move out of the way." Yunho said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, it's fine. Just finishing weighing all this according to this. Woo, take over the mixing later?" You turned to the male. Wooyoung gave you a thumbs up.

"I'm making the brown butter now." He informed, swirling the pan on the stove. The brown butter gives financiers a nutty flavour.

"It smells nice in here!" San came through the door.

"Boss man is working in the kitchen?" Yeosang tilted his head, seeing Yunho working with Jongho by the mixer. Wooyoung nodded his head with a playful giggle.

"Told you guys I can bake." Yunho scoffed.

"Are you sure you didn't just eat the scraps?" Mingi scoffed, coming back into the kitchen with an iced coffee in hand.

"No, that's not true! I'm not like all of you who just samples and eats everything. I actually helped make the coffee crumb cake. Didn't I, (y/n)?" Yunho frowned with a small pout. You nodded in confirmation, stirring the icing for said cake in your bowl.

"Ice and slice." You slid the bowl of icing to Jongho. Jongho picked it up immediately, drizzling the icing over the cooled cake in a zig-zag pattern. Yunho looked on, proud that he helped make that.

"Financiers going in the oven." Wooyoung announced.

"I'll do the bacon and egg danishes." Seonghwa said. You went over to help him with that.

"We should go get the store front ready for opening. Stock the coffee bar with what we need." Yunho said to his 4 friends. The 5 of them went out, leaving the kitchen.

"Hongjoong, I moved the box of milk cartons into the walk in. They were delivered this morning." You informed.

"Okay, thanks (y/n)." Hongjoong smiled and went to the walk in with Yeosang to help him move the boxes of milk cartons out to the front.

"Can I make all of you a drink?" Mingi offered. You still had the coffee Yunho made you so only Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho gave their drink orders.

The 4 of you worked well, like usual, all falling into your own tasks and jobs without having to give too much detailed instructions. Jongho did the prep and final touches, Wooyoung was working on one pastry while Seonghwa did another. You floated between them, helping them or pulling stuff out of the oven.

"You made sure a pretty crimp, Jongho." You chuckled as you pulled out the chicken and leek pies. Yunho liked the idea of a mix of savoury and sweet baked goods to sell.

"I'm going to slice the banana cake." You said, cutting the loaves of banana cake into slices for serving.

"Ready for the counter." Seonghwa told the boys outside. They came in to help carry the completed sweets out to the front.

"Can I try a slice of the coffee cake?" Yunho asked. Jongho cut him a slice and served it on a plate for him. Yunho took a bite and you swore his eyes sparkled.

"I helped make this?!" He asked in disbelief. You nodded slowly, eyebrows raised in slight amusement.

"Oh my gosh! Guys, eat this! I helped make it!" Yunho ran out to let his friends try it. And to possibly rub in their faces that he was able to make something so delicious in the kitchen without blowing something up, unlike them.

"Did Yunho really make help make that? Cause it's actually edible." Mingi pointed to the plate. Yunho slapped the back of his head with an offended frown.

"He did. He measured out everything and did the cake mixing." You replied, wiping down the counter.

You heard Yunho open up the shop and the chatter of customers come in. The boys outside went to work at once, serving customers.

"Lunch will be reuben sandwiches." You said.

"Another of those amazing sandwiches?" Yunho beamed as he overheard your words while he walked in to retrieve more cocoa powder from the pantry.

"Mhmm." You nodded. Yunho grinned and nodded before leaving the kitchen.

"Another? You mean, you made him a reuben already?" Wooyoung asked. You nodded again.

"This morning when he came in early. I let him try the salt beef and made him a reuben. Although, I think he might like the sauerkraut a little more than the actual meat. He's never had a reuben before and was quite amazed by it." You explained with a small smile on your face, remembering his reaction to the sandwich.

"Wow. Look at you having cute moments with our boss." Jongho teased with his arms crossed. You shot him a flat look, rolling your eyes and continuing what you were doing.

"There was no moment. I made him a sandwich. I have been making all of you sandwiches for so long." You said.

"The first sandwich she made me was kimchi and peanut butter." Seonghwa remembered.

"I was 5!" You hissed.

"And so cute. You looked at me and asked me if it was delicious, I had to tell you it was the best thing I've ever eaten." He laughed, patting your head and pinching your cheek.

"You know what, make your own salt beef next time. I'm not going to be nice to you anymore." You frowned.

"Sure, you know you can't help but be nice to me." Seonghwa wrapped his arms around you, hugging you. You and Seonghwa have been taking care of each other for a long time. While you never verbally expressed yourself, you did it through acts of service.

After all the cakes and pastries were done, you all did the clean up. Wooyoung and Seonghwa did the dishes while you and Jongho made sandwiches for everyone.

"I'll start toasting the sandwiches." You stood at the stove. Jongho helped you put the sandwiches on the pan.

"Whew, it's busy out there!" San huffed as he entered, leaning against the wall tiredly.

"Want a sandwich?" Wooyoung offered. San brightened up, coming over to see what the 4 of you were eating. You gave him one of the sandwiches and he ate it.

"What? This is so good!" San chewed and looked at the sandwich that he had just taken a bit out of.

"It's called a reuben sandwich. There's beef, cheese, pickled cabbage and a dressing. And then it is toasted." Jongho said, munching on the dill pickle that he usually had alongside his reuben. It was homemade, made by Jongho himself. Wooyoung and Seonghwa preferred just crisps.

"The beef is nice. The spices is good and it's really smokey." San nodded as he took another bite.

"It tastes better when you use an actual smoker." You chuckled. There was no space in a Korean apartment for a full size smoker so you relied on a makeshift one, using wood chips in your oven.

"Hey! What are you eating without me?" Mingi came in, tired from the Friday crowd. He came over to see what San was eating.

"Woah, that looks bomb." Mingi commented, looking at the sandwich. Seonghwa slid one over to him.

"That's for you." He informed. Mingi beamed excitedly and went to wash his hands before digging into the sandwich hungrily. San looked at Mingi with a smirk.

"Isn't it one of the best things you've ever had?" San laughed.

"It's amazing! What? How can a sandwich be so good?" Mingi said in disbelief, taking another bite to convince himself. You, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho shot each other looks. This was such a genuinely amazed reaction, it was amusing.

"Yunho reacted the same way as all of you." You stated.

"Wait, Yunho's already had one? When?" Mingi and San turned to you in confusion.

"This morning when he came in. I made him one for breakfast." You blinked, taking a bite of your own sandwich.

"And he didn't think to leave any for us? Or tell us about it? See, I told you he was selfish over food." Mingi scoffed at his best friend. San laughed but nodded in agreement.

"Someone is talking about me in here?" Yunho poked his head in. His eyes narrowed in on the sandwich Mingi was eating.

"Is he eating my sandwich?!" Yunho screeched.

"Relax. Yours, Yeosang's and Hongjoong's are here." You pointed to the plates on the back counter. Yunho let out a sigh of relief, no way was he going to share his sandwich, even with his best friend.

"San, if you're done. We need help." Hongjoong popped in briefly. San went to wash his hands and went back out to help manage the crowd and orders. Yunho came in, closing the kitchen door behind him. Mingi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, making Yunho frown in confusion as to why he was being stared at.

"What?"

"You had one sandwich all to yourself this morning for breakfast. Didn't think to leave any of it for us to try?" Mingi asked.

"You're having one now, aren't you? Leave me and my sandwich alone." Yunho scoffed with a pout. They all were like children, fighting over food.

"I share everything with you! You're being selfish." Mingi exclaimed.

"Sorry, Mingi ah. We're best friends but when it comes to delicious food like this, it's every man for himself." Yunho shrugged.

~

Series masterlist

[moldycantaloupe]

I just wanted to write fluffly Swisstom but the brain chemicals made me write spice so now you got both

Phantom was absolutely enamoured with Swiss since their summoning. Well, since after their summoning. During their first week of being Topside, the multi ghoul intimidated them. They’d hiss and bare their fangs towards him every second they could.

But after the initial fear simmered and them starting to ever so slowly open up to the pack, they were enamoured. 

They didn’t know what had possessed them to be so obsessed about him over the entire pack. They would giggle to themselves when they heard him laugh in the next room over, copy his slight and sometimes subtle movements, and focus on the way he carried out tasks. He always had a different approach to jobs than the rest of them; maybe that was one of the reasons. He was just so different.

The need to be seen by him became their only goal at one point. They could be praised all day by the pack, cooed over by the girls and take it with a small blush in the cheeks and a nod. But when they catch the golden eyes of Swiss, the way he smiles at them is so genuine and, oh. The low tone in his voice when he whispers a quiet, “good job,” just above their head. He must know it drives them crazy.

He definitely does know, though. They think. The closer they get to him, the more he makes it obvious. The way he absentmindedly scratches along their horns while deep in conversation with someone else. The way he brushes his hand over their shoulders when he needs to get to the cupboard above them. The way he squeezes their waist when cuddled up together, forcing them to hold back a whine lest they be caught. He does know.

They’re playing a fucked up game of song and dance at this point. A game of who will strike first, who will end all the platonic components of their relationship.

Phantom’s in his room clad only in a tank and boxers, the two of them laying on the floor together. Music was playing in the background, some old album they borrowed (stole) from Sunshine. They’re propped up on their side by their elbow while Swiss laid fully on his back, his face turned towards them. He’s telling a story from the day, his lips curved in a loud smile and his hands flying wildly in the air to illustrate the picture he tries to paint. They can’t focus on it with the way his tail idly wraps and plays with their leg, sliding it up and down in slow movements.

They know they look distracted, with a high blush that reaches past their ears. But his tail travels higher and higher, squeezing and caressing their knee. They squeeze their eyes tight and try to hold back the whimper.

“Ant?” Swiss’ voice breaks through their growing fog and their eyes snap open, the blush growing hotter against their skin as they stare. “What’s up, buggy?”

“I-” his tail squeezes just past their knee and they let out a breathy whine, watching his face fall into a smug look, “Swiss, you’re driving me crazy.”

“Am I?” He teases. The spade of his tail drags along their warm skin. He bends his finger in their direction, beckoning them forward. 

They fumble their way over and land on their hands and knees just above him, their faces mere inches apart. They think it’s unfair how steady his breathing is compared to their ragged inhales.

“Swiss, their eyes flicker to those lips that are still curved in such a shit eating grin and licks their own, “I don’t- I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.” They blurt out.

“Oh, yeah?” His voice grows husky suddenly and the hands from before move to rub against their body, one on their back and one on the back of their thigh. “Are you going to do something about it?”

They surge forward with the permission granted, pride blooming in their chest when they get an undignified grunt out of Swiss. The hand on his back pushes in deeper, forcing them closer as their lips dance messy and uncoordinated against each other.

“Fuck-” Their voice is high and muffled against his lips and their hips twitch to move. “Been wanting you.”

Swiss leans up and breaks their kiss, his tongue immediately darting to suck bruises along their neck. “Me too, doll.”

Phantom’s laugh is breathy and turns into a whine at the tailend, lips trembling when he sucks at their sweet spot on their neck.

“Please, Swiss,” they breathe, knees nearly giving out.

The hand on their thigh travels to their ass and gives a firm squeeze, fingers teasing where they need it most. They let out a surprised moan when those fingers lock into the fabric of their boxers and pull, the inseam hitting their clit spot on. 

“You want this?” Swiss asks against their collarbone, his fangs grazing along their skin.

“So bad,” Phantom hikes their hips up into the fabric to catch that pleasure again, breathing out a heavy noise, “please, I want it so bad.”

“Alright,” he pulls away all forms of contact, laughing at their pout. “On the bed and strip.”

[cliozaur]

It’s a well-known fact that Hugo was deeply invested in reforming the penitentiary system and led a lifelong campaign against the death penalty. He first saw the conditions of imprisonment for those condemned to death and hard labour while visiting the prison of Bicêtre with his friend David d’Angers (a sculptor) in 1828. Their main intent was to preserve the gothic past and explore the ancient prison building. It was easy to get inside the jail because prisons at that time were open to the public. David Bellos explains:

“jails and dungeons were considered picturesque, and tourists in Paris visited all kinds of places that modern visitors shun. A prim Swiss student who came to Paris in 1830, for example, whiled away a Sunday afternoon at the women’s ward in a lunatic asylum and then dropped in at the morgue, just to see. Fashionable interest in ruins and medieval remains and a widely shared taste for the quaint and the bizarre — the main components of Romanticism when reduced to a statement of style — provided respectable cover for interests now served by the noirest genre of film.”

[mindblowingscience]

In a new study in mice, a team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury. The neuroscientists have shown that re-growing specific neurons back to their natural target regions led to recovery, while random regrowth was not effective.

Continue Reading.

[intheghoulden]

Imma need more on AI Phantom x Scientist Aether pUHLEASE 🤲🙏🫶🫶

YES OF COURSE I LOVE THEM AND I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THEM

here's a little ficlet about learning what it means to like things (or people), bc their dynamic is everything to me

Aether sat on his bed with a tired sigh. Phantom closed the door quietly behind him as he followed Aether into the room, walking to take his place at the seat in the corner of the room.

Phantom followed his nightly routine; checking his components for any abnormalities, plugging in his charging cord tail to charge for the night, and turning off all his external LEDs as to not disturb Aether while he sleeps.

The whole time, Aether watched the bot quietly. His mind was wandering to places it had gone before but he'd never voiced.

He knew everything about Phantom, inside and out. He knew how every mechanism worked and all of the pieces that went together. He knew technology very well.

And yet...

"Phantom?"

"Yes?"

The bot turned his attention to the scientist, his glowing eyes never once leaving Aether.

"Do you enjoy my company?"

Phantom blinked at him before furrowing his brows in confusion, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Y'know, do you... like me?"

A short silence lapsed between them before Phantom tilted his head like a confused puppy, a auirk he picked up from Swiss.

"What does it mean to like someone?"

Aether swore under his breath. Of course he didn't like him, he's a robot for fuck's sake.

Nonetheless, Aether didn't like avoiding any questions the bot had. With-holding information was something he despised.

"It's when you want to be around someone. They make your day better when you spend it with them. When you're alone, you find yourself wanting to be with them."

Aether gave him a few moments to process it, expecting nothing more than acknowledgement in return.

Phantom shifted in his seat, his magnetic joints clicking into place when he settles. His voice is quieter than normal, "I think I like you."

When Aether looked back up at Phantom, he was averting his gaze. Something very uncharacteristic of the bot.

"Yeah?"

Phantom only nodded in response. The only sound for a few moments was Phantom's fans whirring inside him to cool down his overhesting circuits.

He cleared his throat, "Goodnight, Aether."

Aether smiled before turning his bedside lamp off, "Goodnight, Bug."

[negativeyield]

if i die before I bake

Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Swiss (Ghost Sweden Band), Phantom (Ghost Sweden Band), Dewdrop | Sodo, Rain (Ghost Sweden Band), Mountain (Ghost Sweden Band), Cumulus (Ghost Sweden Band), Cirrus (Ghost Sweden Band) Additional Tags: Recreational Drug Use, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, green out, Pack Cuddles, Crack Treated Seriously, well this was meant to be crack but it kind of veered away from that, Guilt, Marijuana, Panic Attacks, Vomiting, Swiss is fucking zooted Summary: Phantom bakes some homemade edibles for Swiss, but messes up a vital measurement.

read on AO3

“Hey Mountain,” Phantom said, appearing at his bedroom door. “You went on that weed run yesterday, right?”

The drummer was lying on his bed, idly scrolling through his phone. He rolled to his side to look at Phantom, nodding his head toward the dresser. “Top drawer. You having a smoke?”

“No, I’m gonna make some brownies,” Phantom grabbed the bag. “I accidentally took the last of Swiss’s edible he got in Amsterdam. Told ‘em I’d go to the dispensary with you... and then forgot... so I'm just gonna make some.”

Mountain chuckled, “Have you ever baked anything in your life?”

“Of course I have.”

Phantom had not. But how hard could it be?

“Okay, well if you want some help, let me know. I'll send you the link to the recipe we usually use.”

“’kay. Thanks Mount,” he said and made his way back to the kitchen.

Phantom had watched Swiss or Mountain make edibles on a few occasions, but he pulled up Mountain's recipe. He quickly realized it was a little more complicated than he thought. There was pre-baking, and making a butter, and making the brownies from scratch? Phantom looked at the box mix he found at the back of the pantry. It would have to do.

Soon, the kitchen was a wreck. Measuring cups and bowls were everywhere as Phantom filled their shared space with aroma of baked cannabis. It brought some of the other ghouls out of their room to investigate his baking endeavor.

“Fucking hell, Phantom, what are you doing in here?” Dew was the first to appear as Phantom took the roasted leaves out of the oven.

“My best,” Phantom wiped away some sweat from his brow, glancing at Dew. “This looks much easier when Swiss does it.”

Dew chuckled, hopping up to sit on the counter and watch.

“That’s because Swiss has seen every episode of Great British Baking Show and thinks that makes him star baker.”

Phantom threw some butter in a saucepan and started to combine the components of the brownie mix.

“I believe it. This shit is harder than I thought.”

Dew chuckled, jumping down from the counter and ruffling Phantom’s hair on his way out the back door. “Just follow the instructions, you’ll be fine.”

Phantom sighed, returning to his project.

Cumulus and Cirrus also came by, taking a few finger fulls of leftover batter after Phantom had his bake in the oven. Mountain came by briefly while he sat in front of the oven watching them rise.

“Looks good, Iron Chef,” he smiled, patting him on the back. “Did you make them with or without walnuts?”

“With.”

“Oh fuck, yeah. Be sure to save me one.”

Phantom smiled, feeling a bit better about his baking skills. When the brownies finally came out, they looked just like the ones the others have made. He cleaned up while they cooled, and delivered a generous piece to Swiss’s room for when he returned. Phantom thought about also enjoying one, but a text from Rain about a quick rehearsal tabled that plan. He cut himself a small sliver just to test out the taste, satisfied with the fudgey texture and gooey taste.

“Something is still missing,” Dew tapped his chin. They had spent the last hour and a half rehearsing some new bits for the rituals and testing out a few riffs. One in particular was giving them some trouble. “Maybe we should get Swiss down here. See if he has an idea or if adding a fourth balances it better.”

Rain put down his bass. “Yeah, I’ll go find him.” He left the practice room and headed toward the living quarters. In the meantime, Dew and Phantom continued to run through the bridge of the song.

Suddenly, rapid, running footsteps echoed up the hall. Both of the ghouls turned to find Rain looking pale and panicked.

“Something's wrong with Swiss,” he said, motioning for them to follow. They put their instruments down and ran to Swiss’s room. Phantom could hear the sound of retching from the hallway, which eerily stopped the moment they got into his room.

They found Swiss slumped beside the toilet, eyes unfocused as he barely registered Rain and Dew dropping to his side.

“Swiss,” Dew cupped his cheeks, trying to get the dazed ghoul to focus on him. “Swiss!” The only sound the ghoul made was some weak whimpering. The most he seemed to move was when he’d start to gag and lurch toward the toilet. Rain sat beside him, rubbing his back and looking at the others with concern.

“What do we do?”

“What is even wrong with him? He's sweating like he's back in the pits, but he doesn't feel feverish,” Dew said, hugging his arms across his body. “Food poisoning?”

“I don’t know, Dew, he’s pretty out of it.”

“Is he on something?”

Rain shrugged, “we just got back right before we started rehearsal. He didn’t have anything when he was with me.”

Suddenly, it dawned on Phantom. He looked back at the place he left Swiss’s brownie.

The plate was empty.

“Shit,” Phantom turned back to the others, suddenly starting to panic. “Shit, I made brownies earlier. Swiss had one.”

Dew’s eyes widened “How big?”

Phantom estimated with his fingers. “Not bigger than what Swiss has given me before.”

“Did he eat more than what you brought him or something?”

Rain stayed with Swiss while Dew and Phantom rushed to the kitchen where Mountain was coincidentally opening the pan of brownies.

“Mountain, wait!” Phantom yelled, startling the drummer into dropping the plastic knife on the ground.

“What?”

“Swiss is sick. Maybe because of the brownies,” Dew explained. Phantom grabbed the pan, sighing in relief to find only the piece he cut for Swiss missing.

“He only had what I gave him.”

“Well what was the dosage?”

“Whatever the instructions said, Dew, I don’t know!”

The room started heating up with Dewdrop as the epicenter. “Phantom, you saw Swiss— this is not the fucking time for I don’t know, I need some fucking number—”

“Guys,” Mountain yelled over them, the bag of weed, that now had a sizable dent in it, in hand. His face was especially serious. “Phantom, where is the extra butter?”

He stared at Mountain blankly. “What do you mean?”

“You followed the recipe I told you? Pre-baked the amount you usually see Swiss and me make, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then where’s the leftovers? The recipe is for triple the amount of butter you should have used.”

Phantom suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. “I-I didn’t know that.”

“Shit,” Mountain cursed as Rain called down the hall for more help. Mountain went running, leaving Phantom feeling numb and a majorly heated Dew.

“I thought you were following the instructions,” Dew said, his eyes starting to flicker red, like embers in a fire trying to kindle.

“I was, but I was looking at the butter recipe Mountain told me to use and also reading the back of the brownie box and— and, I guess… I guess I got confused,” Phantom ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the roots. Dew huffed, turning to go back to Swiss’s room. When Phantom started to follow, the fire ghoul whirled around, eyes fully glowing now.

“You’ve done enough, Phantom. We’ll take care of him.”

He left Phantom standing awkwardly in the hallway, his guilt feeling like a tight wire wrapped around his neck. He stood there until his anger kicked in. Phantom marched into the kitchen, grabbing the pan of brownies and slamming them into the trash can with such force the metal pan bent at a ninety degree angle.

He was angry at Dew. At the fucking instructions for being confusing. At Mountain for not telling him when he was leaving for the dispensary. Really, he was just furious at himself. How did he possibly think that much weed was supposed to go into one batch of brownies? What kind of idiot didn’t double check the recipe when making an edible?

Phantom banished himself to his room, throwing around a few things before collapsing on his bed in a fit of guilt-soaked tears.

Rain think he preferred it when Swiss was vomiting.

After the last time he hugged the toilet, just as Phantom and Dew went to check the kitchen, Swiss had a moment of improved coherence.

“Rain,” he mustered, spitting into the toilet. It was a relief just to hear him have some sort of orientation to what was happening around him. That relief was quickly thwarted by what followed, “I don’t… feel… good,” he said, his voice slurring and slowing. Rain had to lunge to catch Swiss’s dead weight as he suddenly collapsed.

“Fuck!” he yelled, pressing two fingers to his neck. Ghoul vessels did have heartbeats— usually slower than humans— but present. Even for a ghoul, though, Swiss’s was faint. “Dew! Phantom! I need you!”

To his surprise, Mountain was the first to arrive at his aid, helping Rain pull Swiss out of the bathroom and into the more spacious bedroom.

“He just passed out,” Rain said, obsessively checking the pulse points in Swiss’s neck and wrist.

“He’s greening out bad,” Mountain sighed, looking up at Rain with dismay. “Phantom fucked up the edible ratio. It won’t kill him, but we need to watch him until he comes down.”

Swiss’s eyes finally fluttered open again. Still unfocused, and even more out of it than before. Dew appeared at the door, chest heaving with anger. Phantom was nowhere to be found. Mountain took one look at Dew and shook his head.

“Out.”

That didn’t help Dew’s fury. “Excuse me?”

“You’re hot right now. You know he gets sensitive to emotions when he’s high, and right now the last thing we need is him panicking when he can barely comprehend why he’s panicking. You can come back when you cool off.”

Dew looked like he wanted to bite off Mountain’s head, but he did back out of the room.

“Mounty,” Swiss muttered, briefly focusing on the earth ghoul’s face. His hand limply waved, and Mountain grabbed it from the air and squeezed.

“Hang in there, bud. You’re gonna be okay.”

Swiss felt like he was dying.

Or locked in some shadow dimension. Either was possible.

Maybe this was the purgatory thing he’s heard so much about. A land between heaven and hell. It would explain why he felt like the world was melting between his fingers while also feeling like he was floating. He was burning hot and doused in sweat, but also wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in blankets.

A lot of contradictions. The only thing Swiss was sure about was that his stomach fucking hurt.

His head was in the toilet again. Throat burning. A hand rubbed his back and he tried to focus on that instead of the sour taste in his mouth.

Then darkness.

Maybe he was dying.

Sometimes he’d hear some voices. Muted, warped voices he could hardly identify.

One came through clearly. Swiss couldn’t quite identify what was being said, but he knew it was Mountain.

Mountain sounded upset. Swiss frowned working hard at trying to focus on the slow moving blobs around him so he could find Mountain.

A warm hand took his.

Fingers tinkered with his hair.

Touched his blazing skin.

He hoped he wasn’t sick.

They would also get sick if that was the case.

“You can sleep, Swiss miss.”

“We’ll keep you safe.”

Swiss didn’t want to sleep. He was exhausted to the point he couldn’t move, but sleeping seemed like something he wasn’t supposed to do. Like he’s fully succumb to the darkness.

Like he’d wake up in the pit.

His throat suddenly felt tight. Fingers tingled. He tried to suck in more air, but his lungs were sluggish. Slow as the rest of him. Swiss fought, feeling his body being turned. Being lifted and then put down again—

“I don’t wanna go!” he tried to scream, but only parts of it made it to his mouth.

Pressure on his cheeks. A hand on his chest. Swiss’s vision dotted for a few moments before realizing Rain was nose-to-nose with him, his ocean blue eyes pleading for something Swiss couldn’t hear over the sound of ringing in his ears. He looked at Rain’s lips come together and split in the shape of the word breathe.

I’m trying, he wanted to say, but he had no breath to do it.

Rain pressed on his chest. Tapped a pattern that Swiss took to mean as cues to breathe in and out. He tried— and struggled— to follow them at first, but soon fell into rhythm. He felt his body start to relax. His fingers regained feeling. Swiss felt the air fully inflate his lungs, hold, and exit with a slow whoosh.

Slowly, he faded into sleep.

Swiss woke up feeling like he had been dropped in boiling water. He was drenched, the feeling of his clothes on his skin making him nauseated all over again. Feeling a little more mobile, Swiss grabbed at his shirt, trying to ease it over his head.

“Woah, woah, woah, what’s wrong?” a voice asked. Dew's voice. 

“’m fucking hot,” Swiss said, back, trying and failing to make it over his head. Frustration started making him upset, and he took a break from his shirt and clumsily pulled at the drawstring of his sweatpants instead.

“Okay, let me help you,” Dew whispered, swatting Swiss’s hands away. Swiss stood still as Dew dropped his pants and helped pull his shirt off. The cool air on his burning skin was a relief, but Swiss still didn’t feel comfortable. He grabbed his underwear, but Dew caught his wrist.

“Those too?” he asked hesitantly.

Swiss nodded, trying to jerk out of Dew’s grasp, but being unsuccessful. Dew sighed and released him, and Swiss finally felt at ease.

He stood there until his body temperature felt normal again.

Then he realized he was fucking freezing. He slumped back on the bed, grabbing as many blankets at possible while Dew watched him, dumbfounded.

“Cold now, Swissy?”

“Freezing. Cuddle me, Dew?”

The fire ghoul groaned, and something landed on Swiss’s face.

“Okay, but you have to put your drawers back on.”

That seemed like a fair exchange. Swiss slipped on his underwear and opened his arms for Dew to come warm him up. The fire ghoul dropped into Swiss’s arms, muttering something about how he “better not puke on him”.

Swiss’s throat was dry when he woke up again. HIs room was dim. Less chaotic than before. Swiss tried to roll to his back, but found something blocking him.

Or someone.

“Swiss?” a soft voice asked, moving so he could plop onto his back. It was Mountain staring down at him with concerned hazel eyes.

“I’m falling off the bed,” Swiss muttered, weakly trying to shove at the massive drummer. Mountain’s concern shifted to mild amusement, and he gave Swiss some more space.

“Just making sure you don’t aspirate, Swissy.”

Satanas, his head was pounding. Swiss flopped down on Mountain’s chest, finding some comfort in the feeling of his heartbeat under his cheek.

“Is he awake?” Rain asked, walking in with Dew in tow.

“He is,” Swiss answered. “He is also so fucking thirsty.”

“Good,” Rain handed him some brightly colored drink. Swiss stared at is suspiciously until he explained. “Electrolytes.”

“Oh. Thought you were trying to poison me,” Swiss muttered, and slowly sipped at the cool beverage.

“That would be Phantom,” Dew muttered, quickly getting an elbow to the ribs from Rain. Swiss looked at them, confused.

“What about Phantom?” His bandmates looked at him and then one another. Swiss couldn’t tell if it was guilt or pity, but he didn’t like it either way. “Whatever it is, fucking tell me.”

“He’s usually pissy when he’s almost down,” Mountain said as though Swiss wasn’t sitting right fucking there.

“Think he’s good enough to tell him?” Rain asked.

“For fuck’s sake,” Swiss pinched the bridge of his nose. Rain placed a hand on his knee.

“Did you eat the brownie Phantom baked for you?”

Swiss slowly dropped his hand, the realization of his pre-nap snack hitting him the moment Rain said it.

“Yeah… it was good, but I’m guessing maybe a little too much?”

Dew scoffed. “At least triple the dose you usually do.”

That certainly explained why he felt like he was on a different plane of existence earlier.

“Damn. Uh, how bad was I?” They looked at each other again. That, and the fact they looked exhausted pretty much answered his question. He also realized Phantom wasn’t among them. “And where’s Phantom?”

Dew pressed his lips together. “I, uh, told him to stay out of the way.”

From the way Mountain and Rain exchanged a glance, Swiss had a feeling it was a little more than that. He sighed, pushing himself up to try and stand, but a rush to his head made him topple right back down.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Dew asked.

“To see Phantom. Make sure he’s not beating himself up over this.”

“You can barely stand still!”

Swiss looked at Dew. “Then go get him!”

Dew looked at Rain, who shook his head. The usually calm water ghoul looked at Dew sternly. “I’m not the one who yelled at him. Go fix it.”

With a groan, Dew departed. Swiss laid back in his bed, focusing on a singular point on the ceiling until the spinning stopped.

“Hey Rain?” he asked after awhile.

“Yeah?”

Swiss ran his hand over his bare chest and thighs. “When did I strip?”

He chuckled. “A few hours ago.”

“Why?”

“Dew said you wanted cuddles.”

Swiss sat with that for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah... that checks out. Can you grab me some clothes, please?”

Phantom wasn’t sure what to do. He snuck down near Swiss’s room a few times to try and gauge what was going on, but couldn’t quite get a complete read. Things seemed to calm down at least. Less sounds of vomiting. Rain, Mountain, and Dew had begun to take shifts of just one or two of them staying with Swiss at a time. Phantom wanted to assume the best, but he still felt his worst.

So he shut himself in his room. Lights off, so his main source of light was the glow of iridescent constellations on his ceiling.

Swiss had helped him put those up. And Phantom had basically poisoned him. What a good packmate he was.

Because he wanted to torture himself, Phantom looked back at the recipe for the butter. Sure enough, it clearly called for almost four times the amount of butter he used— if he had just fucking read it correctly, Swiss wouldn’t be spending the night worrying about choking on his own vomit.

Hot tears ran down Phantom’s face. Though he had formed some great connections with the others, he was still so new. Would they send him away after this? Would any of them trust him again? He ruminated on these increasingly destructive thoughts until there was a soft knock at his door.

“Phantom?” Dew said through the door. “You in there?”

“Yeah,” called, his voice raspy from crying. The door opened slowly, and in came Dew. He was much less angry than usual, but still seemed a little peeved. After taking in the dark room and Phantom curled up on his bed, his face softened.

“Hey…” Dew said, sitting on the edge of Phantom’s bed. To his surprise, the fire ghoul reached out and put a warm hand on Phantom’s calf. “Swiss is okay.”

“He is?”

“A little loopy still and post-high cranky, but yeah. He’s asking for you.”

Phantom bit his lip, curling more into himself. “He’s pissed, isn’t he?”

Dew’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Swiss? At you? Not at all.”

“You are.”

Dew sighed, pressing his fingers together in his lap. “I was. But, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I was mad and… and scared. Really scared.” Dew looked at him with with this sad expression. “Sorry for taking it out on you.”

Phantom finally sat up, pulling Dew into a hug before he could protest. The lead guitarist hugged him back, pinching his cheek as they pulled apart. “I hope you know you’re banned from baking, though.”

“Fair enough,” Phantom said, smiling for the first time in hours.

They went to Swiss’s room where Rain and Mountain were perched on his bed with them. When Phantom entered, they grew quiet, and started to move out of the way. Swiss opened up his arms.

“C’mere Phantom,” he said with a grin.

All the stress of the last several hours of soaking in self-doubt and guilt came tumbling down at once. Phantom practically tackled Swiss as he dove into his arms, reveling in the joyful laugh the multi-ghoul let out as he squeezed Phantom tightly.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” Phantom said into Swiss’s shirt.

“Don’t be, Twinkle Toes, that brownie was fucking fire. Perfect ratio of gooey, but not underbaked. And truly flattered you thought I could handle that much THC.”

“It did seem like a lot…”

“I fuckin’ bet,” Swiss chuckled. “It’s okay, though. I’m good. Sometimes I need a green out every so often. Keeps me humble.”

“Also freaks us the hell out,” Rain said. Swiss pressed his lips together, almost like he felt guilty about being basically incapacitated. He reached out toward the others, and Phantom felt the bed dipped as Rain joined the huddle. Mountain and Dew soon followed, encapsulating the two of them in their body heat and weight.

“Thanks for taking care of me, you guys.”

[lacefuneral]

i am technically on a diet rn to lower my cholesterol and raise my omega 3s & hemoglobin levels

and i've been eating sandwiches recently that consist of turkey, swiss cheese, and low fat mayo on a potato roll. and i know none of these components contain aspartame. but somehow this sandwich tastes of it anyway

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Edible electronics are being developed to assist rescue operations and go inside hospital patients

Professor Dario Floreano is a Swiss-Italian roboticist and engineer engaged in a bold research venture: the creation of edible robots and digestible electronics. However counterintuitive it may seem, combining food science and robotic science could yield enormous benefits. These range from airlifts of food to advanced health monitoring. Boundary breaking "Our goal is to start replacing electronic parts by edible components," said Floreano, who is director of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

Read more.

[ancientcraftnoccultism]

Beginner Class - Shadow Work 101

Ancient Craft & Occultism

Shadow Work 101

___

By KB

Introduction

Hello again, everyone! Welcome back to class ♡ Now that we've gone over in more detail about our personal energy - let's discuss something that is often forced upon beginner's, especially within New Age circles. You guessed it, shadow work. First and foremost, shadow work is not mandatory in order for you to be a practitioner or a witch. Let's take a closer look into this term.

What Is Shadow Work?

In essence, shadow work is a type of emotional therapy. Traumatic events in our lives inevitably leave us with emotional scars. As a result, we frequently try to repress these feelings since they make us feel uneasy, apprehensive, and panicked. Every time these emotions are provoked, we push them to the back of our minds as a type of emotional self-defense. The issue with this coping method is that by keeping our trauma hidden, we are not healing from it; instead, it simmers inside of us and will eventually appear physically. Numerous things, such as physical disease, worry, panic attacks, mental illnesses, and self-harm, might manifest this.

The term "shadow" was initially used by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung to refer to those facets of our personalities that we actively choose to suppress and reject. We all have aspects of ourselves that we don't like for various reasons, or that we believe society won't like, so we push those aspects down into our unconscious psyches. Jung referred to this group of suppressed facets of our personality as our shadow self.

“The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.” - Carl Jung 1951

What Is The Shadow?

The shadow is made up of everything we reject about ourselves, including everything we consider to be bad, evil, or unacceptable. This dark side is everything that conflicts with our conscious attitude that we have decided about ourselves. The disowned self is the individual shadow. This shadow self stands in for the aspects of ourselves that we no longer identify as being our own, including our innate virtues.

These unexplored or rejected facets of our personalities remain. We try to cast them out by denying them, but we are unable to do so. They are a part of our unconscious that we suppress. Consider whatever we are not aware of as belonging to our unconscious. The shadow won't go away. It remains with us as our dark sibling. When we fail to recognize it, trouble results. For sure, it is standing just behind us at that point.

Every young child is aware of compassion, kindness, and love, but he also exhibits rage, egotism, and avarice. These feelings are a component of our common humanity. But something changes as we mature. The characteristics of "being good" are accepted, whilst the characteristics of "being bad" are disapproved of. All humans have fundamental necessities. These needs include those for physical well-being, security and safety, and belonging. These innate and biological demands must be met.

When we were kids, our surroundings gave us cues when we displayed certain aspects of ourselves. Perhaps we had a tantrum out of rage. After the incident, our parents chastised us and sent us to our room. Or perhaps in our first-grade classroom, we were brave, lively, impromptu, or silly. In front of the class, our teacher called us to task for acting impolitely and ordered us to sit down. Every time that happened—and it may have happened frequently—it put one of our fundamental requirements in danger. We learned to adapt to the outside world and changed our conduct to suit our needs. In the first 20 years of our lives, all of the aspects of us that have been rejected or discouraged are collected and hidden.

Can I Just Ignore My Shadow?

Sure, you can, but only at your own risk. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of Dr. Jeckell & Mr. Hyde… not only that, it causes our perception of reality to be distorted. We recognize in others the qualities we reject in ourselves. Psychologists refer to this as projection. Everything we buried within us, we project onto others. It's a safe probability that you haven't acknowledged your own rudeness if, for instance, you become annoyed when someone is disrespectful to you. This does not imply that they are not being impolite to you. But you wouldn't mind someone else being rude as much if rudeness wasn't in your shadow self.

This procedure doesn't involve conscious thought. Our predictions are unknown to us. This defense mechanism is used by our egos to protect how they see themselves. We are prevented from engaging with our shadow by our false identities as "good" people. These psychological projections skew reality, separating how we perceive ourselves from how we act in the world.

Benefits of Shadow Work

Who appreciates being honest about their flaws, weaknesses, selfishness, nasty behavior, hatred, etc.? It is more pleasurable and affirming to concentrate on our strengths. However, exploring our shadow side offers us a ton of chances for improvement. Let's look at a few ways that this work can be useful to us.

Better Personal Relationships

You have a clearer understanding of yourself when you embrace your darker side and come to terms with it. You develop into a more solid, complete person. It is simpler to tolerate the shadow in people when you can accept your own darker sides. As a result, you won't be as easily triggered by other people's actions. You'll also find it simpler to interact with other people.

Clear Perception

You'll have a clearer lens through which to perceive the world if you accept everyone as they are, including yourself. You're becoming closer to your actual self as you integrate your shadow self, which helps you make a more accurate judgment of who you are. You won't think of yourself as being excessively large or little. You can more effectively gauge your environment when you are self-aware.

Better Health

It is exhausting to drag this unseen bag of things behind us. Repressing and suppressing all the aspects of ourselves that we don't want to confront as adults is tough effort. The unstudied life can be plagued with fatigue and sluggishness. Physical discomfort and disease can also result from mental suppression. With Jungian shadow work, you can unknowingly release a huge reserve of energy that you were using to defend yourself. Your physical, mental, and emotional well-being can all be enhanced by this. You can become more balanced and develop inner strength through shadow work, which will prepare you for life's obstacles.

Unleash Creativity

Jungian shadow work enhances your creative potential, which is one of its major advantages. According to psychologists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, creativity occurs spontaneously in those who are psychologically well (integrated).

Tips for Beginning

Shadow work can be very intimidating for a lot of us. We don't want to have to reopen old wounds in order to allow then to heal properly. However, there are some ways to make this process a bit easier.

Centering Yourself

Perhaps the most crucial action to take before beginning a shadow job is this. Yet, working with the shadow is seldom ever acknowledged in literature. You won't get useful results if you try to understand your shadow self while you're not grounded in your Self. The shadow stands for a collection of numerous elements that are concealed within your psyche. You can only learn about these areas by starting from your center. One of these components will take control of the process if it is "blended" with you. You'll be judgmental, harsh, or perplexed. Your capacity to integrate your shadow will be hampered by this. Be a peaceful, clear, and neutral area before you start working with your shadow.

Be Kind To Yourself

It is beneficial to develop an unconditional sense of friendship with oneself before getting to know your shadow. Its name in Buddhism is Maitri. To examine our darker aspects requires friendship and self-compassion, which can be challenging. It is challenging to face your shadow if you are harsh on yourself when you err. If you frequently experience guilt or shame, you must learn to transform these feelings into friendliness, self-acceptance, and self-compassion. Begin by acknowledging your own humanity. Keep in mind that we are all shadows in each other's soup, as Jung used to say.

Be Courageous & Honest

Shadow work requires integrity and self-honesty. It's simple to give lip service to these virtues, but real self-honesty requires being open to recognizing our negative traits in our actions and personalities. The ego spends a lot of energy suppressing your disowned portions since it is frequently uncomfortable to do so. It can be difficult to acknowledge and embrace your oppressive bad aspects and insecure selfishness. It takes bravery to examine your attitudes, behaviors, troubled ideas, and negative feelings.

Keep a Record

The desire of some of our disowned portions to remain hidden from view fascinates me. Our disowned portions can elude us, much like how a dream might vanish from memory right after you wake up. A cure is to keep a writing notebook where you can chronicle your self-discoveries. It is easier to encode the discovery into your awareness when you write down your insights and review them afterwards.

Beginning Shadow Work

Discover False Beliefs

We typically aren't aware that we are suppressing anything when we learn to hide some aspects of ourselves from others in order to please our parents, blend in with our friends, or perform well in school. We simply believe that we are being nice, useful humans. Then something sets us off.

Honor Your Feelings

Your emotions serve as a warning system for any subconsciously held resistance, myths, or emotional scars. It's critical to identify these emotions because, like to your automobile issue, subconscious problems may prevent spells from working. Never suppress your feelings or blame yourself for having them. That will simply deepen your emotional traumas and erroneous notions in your subconscious and make you feel worse.

Heal

Your pain can be healed now that you've found its source. Don't forget that the goal isn't to control your emotions. Your feelings are your subconscious trying to tell you something, and these messages are important! Changing your tale to something more positive can allow you to manage your reactions.

[obscurecurse]

exciting newssss for 3d printed conk reeeeet enjoyers, baby. they're gonna make a tower in the swiss alps. here's a rendering.

we're getting structural. when it's complete. it'll be the tallest 3d printed structure in the world to date.

there is a concept in construction where you assemble to max amount possible in shops/manufacturing facilities and deliver them put together to limit installation in the field (where there's always weather limitations. i have a project in northern montana where they basically cannot pour concrete for half the year because its cold. things like that) and then also you want to try to decide modular systems in sizes that can fit on smaller trucks. smaller trucks can access remote locations easier and are also more affordable to rent for long periods of time. if construction company has to rent special trucks?? ohhohohorjeeaskekac

^all of that is what i see when i look at the individual components v

these are not 3d printed on site, but in sizeable pieces that are then moved to the site. look at the robot.

i want to point out the way that light hits that texure, how it looks like braided rope

these photos are from dezeen btw

because i will spend the summer making renderings of a futuristic dystopia, i'd been asking myself just last night, if we know classic column forms, what is the iconic column of the now? of the future? are these the columns of the future?

or just the now? will this become a familiar sight to all of us?

(sidenote: thesis work has done what i needed/wanted it to do - bring me to the present and the near future. i'd been so stuck in history.)

[wandydilan]

The Art of Mandalas and Their Spiritual Meaning

Mandalas have captured human imaginations for ages, across cultural and geographic borders. These elaborate, circular shapes are more than just gorgeous pieces of art; they have deep spiritual significance. In this blog post, we’ll explore the enchanting world of mandalas, including its history, symbolism, and spiritual significance.

A Journey Through History The word “mandala” derives from Sanskrit and means “circle.” It is an important symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other spiritual traditions that represents the universe and the cosmos. Mandalas appear throughout ancient texts and art forms, indicating their importance in ritualistic and meditative practices for millennia. Tibetan monks, for example, methodically make sand mandalas that are then destroyed to represent life’s impermanence.

Mandalas gained prominence in the West as a result of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s work. He considered mandalas as manifestations of the unconscious self and believed that making them could have therapeutic benefits. Jung utilized mandalas in therapy sessions to help patients explore their inner worlds.

The Mandala’s Structure A mandala often has a central point surrounded by symmetrical patterns that radiate outwards. This structure can be split down into four major components:

The central point represents the beginning, seed, or essence. It acts as the focal point from which the design flows.

Symmetric Patterns: The surrounding patterns radiate symmetrically from the center, representing equilibrium and harmony.

Circles in the mandala symbolize wholeness, oneness, and the cyclical aspect of existence.

Squares are sometimes used in mandalas to represent solidity and foundation.

These elements combine to form a balanced and harmonious design that reflects the interconnectivity of everything in the universe.

Spiritual Meaning and Applications Mandalas have many spiritual implications that can be interpreted in many ways. Here are several common interpretations:

Meditation and Mindfulness: Creating or staring at a mandala can help you attain a meditative state, which promotes relaxation and mindfulness. Drawing a mandala is a popular mindfulness technique that helps to focus the mind and unlock creativity.

Mandalas can depict an individual’s spiritual journey from the outer layers of their being to their innermost self. Each layer of the mandala might represent many parts of one’s path, such as trials, teachings, and enlightenment.

Mandalas are said to have healing and protective properties in many cultures. They are utilized in ceremonies to bring balance and harmony into a person’s life.

Growth and Self-Discovery: The act of drawing mandalas can be used as a technique for self-expression, allowing people to explore their subconscious minds and acquire insights into their own development.

Contemporary Uses Mandalas are being used in a variety of fields, including art therapy, education, and even corporate contexts. Mandalas are frequently used by art therapists to assist clients in expressing emotions and processing trauma. Educators use mandala-making activities to encourage creativity and concentration in students.

Furthermore, mandalas are utilized in business team-building exercises to encourage collaboration and relieve stress. Their broad appeal and adaptability make them an effective tool for promoting mental and emotional well-being.

Mandalas are much more than elaborate drawings; they are spiritual portals, meditation tools, and symbols of the universe’s interconnection. Mandalas, whether created, meditated upon, or simply admired for their beauty, can bring calm, harmony, and spiritual significance into our lives.

They invite us on a voyage of self-discovery, reminding us of the harmonious nature of existence and the never-ending cycle of life. So, the next time you see a mandala, take a moment to admire its exquisite beauty and deeper meanings — you might just discover a tiny bit of magic within.